Marshal who dodged Tour race car vows to volunteer again in 2019
THE MARSHAL who narrowly escaped a mid-race crash with an oncoming car during the Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds said it was “sheer instinct” that saved him.
Dramatic footage emerged of Phillip Sullivan, 35, from Pudsey, leaping clear of a car belonging to the Astana team as it slammed through a central reservation in Canal Road on Sunday.
The volunteer marshal emerged unscathed and said he intends to apply for the same role next year.
Father of two Mr Sullivan said: “I saw the car coming at considerable speed and just thought, ‘it’s going to move, it’s going to move... it’s not going to move’. Instinct told me to jump. So I jumped to my right. It was that close I could feel the air of the wheels pass my feet.”
Despite the drama, he resumed his duties. Later, Welcome to Yorkshire said race organisers were holding “an immediate investigation” while Astana issued an apology.
The incident did not detract from what was a record-breaking year for the cycle race, which Welcome to Yorkshire boss Sir Gary Verity revealed had attracted an estimated 2.6m people along the route over its four days.
He said the crowds were “utterly unbelievable”, adding: “It was like being back at the 2014 Tour de France. Every start and finish was absolutely rammed and there were so many high points.”